Aerial ropeway.



No. 737,871. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 19.03. J. P. ROE.

AERIAL ROPEWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 3HEE'I'SSHEET 1.

55 5Q Z9 1 L .PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

J. P. ROE.

AERIAL ROPEWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

V fa/4 2202 UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PEARCE ROE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROPEVAYS SYNDICATE, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AERIAL ROPEWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,871, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed March 5, 1903. Serial No. 146,387. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PEARCE ROE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at London, England, have invented Improvements in or Relating to Aerial Ropeways, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for the working of angles or IO curves (hereinafter callec curves) on aerial ropeways provided with clips of the type that are permanently fixed to the rope and constantly move therewith around the terminals and other parts of the line-as, for example,

in aerial ropeways of the type described in the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me, No. 530,720. IVith clips of the kind referred to or similar ones it is necessary to have a projecting part or socket that extends outward from each clip on the rope and to which the vehicle-hanger is attached, so that in working a curve, while on one side this projecting part comes on the OE side of the guiding-sheaves and forms no impediment z 5 to the clip freely passing the sheaves, on the other side the projecting part of each clip must necessarily be on the inside of the curve and would have to pass between any guide rollers or sheaves against which the rope would press.

Now the present invention has for its object to enable the rope to be properly guided by a pressure acting from the inside of the curve and at the same time to enable the passage of 3 5 the clip extension to readily take place. For this purpose a guiding roller or sheave or a series of guiding rollers or sheaves is or are mounted below the rope at an angle, say, of approximately forty degrees to the horizontal or as near to the horizontal as will permit of the projecting portions of the clips passing, and to prevent the rope being pulled out of such guiding sheave or sheaves, which acts or act at an angle as regards horizontal pressure of the rope, a depression-sheave is arranged above the guiding-sheave or above each guiding-sheave, such depression-sheave or each of such sheaves being so mounted, pivotally or in guides, as to press, by the action of a spring or weight, in a downward direction upon the rope, and thus keep it in pressed toward the guiding-sheave 4:.

proper position on the lower guiding-sheave. As the downward pressure is produced by a spring or weight, the upper or depression sheave can be pressed upward and caused to move sufficiently to permit of the passage of a clip or clips, and after such passage it will be immediately forced downward again upon the rope. The depression-sheave may be arranged to act upon the rope in a truly vertical direction or in a direction inclined to the vertical.

This invention consists in various novel features of construction and in combinations and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying illustrative drawings, Figure 1 shows in end elevation one construction of sheave-mounting with guiding and depressing sheaves according to this invention, together with a rope, rope-clip, and hanger. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views to Fig. 1, showing modified constructions. Fig.

4 is a View of part of Fig. 3 drawn at right angles thereto. Fig. 5is a plan showingdiagrammatically, a portion of an aerial ropeway at a curved portion thereof with sheavemountings and sheaves according to this invention arranged to support the rope at the inside of the curve.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. l the sheave mounting comprises a bracket 1, formed with a lowerinclined bearing 2 for a pin or spindle 25, carrying a flanged guidingsheave 4, inclined to the horizontal, as herein above described, and with an upper'bearing 5 for a horizontal pin or spindle 6, carrying a lever 7. To the upper end of the lever 7 is fixed a normally horizontal pin or spindle 8, carrying a depression sheave 9, that is mounted to rotate in proximity to the grooved flanged periphery l of the guiding-sheave 4. The lower arm of the lever 7 is bifurcated to embrace the bracket 1 and is provided with a cross-pin 10, to which is connected one end of a spring 11, the other end of which is connected to a horizontal adj listing-screw 12, carried by the bracket, the arrangement being such that the depression-roller 9 is constantly part of the endless rope to be supported and guided and which is arranged to travel be- 14: is a clip fixed to the rope 13 and secured to a projecting part or socket 15, that extends out from the rope and to which a vehicle hanger 16 is attached, as heretofore, so that when the portion of the rope to which the clipis fixed is passing around the inside of a curved portion of the ropeway, as shown in Fig. 5, the projecting part or socket 15, with hanger 16, will pass clear of the guiding-sheaves 4E and of a fixed guide-rail17, that serves to prevent oscillation of the said projecting part or socket and attached parts when passing around the curve. As will be seen, the arrangement is such that the portion of rope 13 passing around the inside curved portion of the ropeway will be kept in proper position on the lower guiding-sheave 4: by the depression-sheave 9 through the action of the spring 11, and thus maintain the rope in its proper position on the guidingsheave,the said spring 11 yielding, when necessary, to allow of the depressionsheave 9 rising sufficiently to permit of a clip 1.4 passing between it and the depression-sheave and acting to immediately return the depression-sheave into position to retain the rope on the guiding-sheave after the passage of the clip.

In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the spindle 8, carried by a lever-arm 7, jointed to the bracket 1 by the pin or spindle 6, is extended to one side, as shown at 8 and suitably loaded, as by a spring 19, so as to force the depression-sheave 9 against the rope 1 3 and hold the same in properposition against the guiding sheave & while allowing of the depression-sheave 9 rising when necessary to permit of the rope-clips passing between the two sheaves.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the depression-sheave 9 is arranged vertically, its spindle 8 being arranged to extend through blocks 20, that work vertically in guideways 20, formed in a U-shaped upward extension 1 of the bracket 1, the said spindle being loaded, as by springs 19 so that the depression-sheave 9 is normally pressed against the rope 13, but can rise, as before, to permit of the passage of the clips on the said rope.

2]., Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is a fixed support upon which the sheave-mounting is fixed when in use, and 22, Fig. 5, is an ordinary guidingsheave for the rope 13 at the outer side of the curved portion of the ropeway.

It will be evident that other changes could be made in the details of construction of my apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention so long as the relative arrangement of parts shown in the drawings or the mode of operation described in the specification is preserved.

\Vhat I claim is- Y 1. An aerial-ropeway guide comprising a guiding-sheave arranged to solely support the rope, and a depression-sheave for normally holding the rope in proper position on the guiding-sheave.

2. A sheave-mountin g for an aerial ropeway of the kind herein referred to, comprising a guiding-sheave mounted to rotate at an angle to the horizontahand a depression-sheave that has its periphery arranged above and forced toward the periphery of the said guidingsheave with a yielding pressure that will allow of its being moved away from said guidingsheave but will act to automatically return said depression-sheave to its normal position when the displacing force is removed.

3. A sheave-mounting for aerial ropeways, comprising a stationary bracket, a flanged guiding-sheave carried thereby and inclined to the horizontal, a depression-sheave mounted above the periphery of the guiding-sheave and capable of moving to and from said guiding-sheave, and means that act to normally force said depression-sheave toward said guiding-sheave but which will allow of said depression-sheave being forced away from said guiding-sheave and afterward cause it to return to its normal position when the displacing force is removed.

at. Asheave-mountingforanaerialropeway, comprising a bracket, a flanged guidingsheave carried thereby and mounted to turn about an inclined axis, a Vertically-movable depression-sheave carried by said bracket and having its periphery above the flanged periphery of said guiding-sheave, and a spring acting to force the periphery of said depressionsheave against that of said guidingsheave.

5. A sheave-mounting for an aerial ropeway comprising a bracket, a flanged guidingsheave carried thereby and mounted to turn about an inclined axis, a lever mounted on said bracket a depression-sheave carried by said lever and having its periphery located above that of said guiding sheave, and a spring acting to force said depression-sheave toward said guiding-sheave with a yielding pressure.

r 6. Asheave-mounting for an aerial ropeway comprising a bracket, a flanged guidingsheave carried thereby and mounted to turn about an inclined axis, a lever mounted on said bracket so as to turn about a horizontal axis, a depression-sheave carried by one end of said lever and arranged over the flanged periphery of said guiding-sl1eave,and a spring connected to the other end of said lever and acting to force the periphery of said depression-sheave toward the periphery of said guidin g-sheave, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

7. An aerial-ropeway guide comprising a IIO guiding-sheave arranged at an incline to the plane of travel of the rope and adapted to solely support the rope, and a depressionsheave arranged to bear with yielding pressure upon the rope 011 the guiding-sheave.

pressed movable support for the u'iiling- IO sheave.

Signed at 75 to 7'7, Cornhill, London, England, this lSlh day of February, 1903.

JOHN PEARCE ROE.

guiding-sheave arranged to solely support the rope, a. depression-s] iem'e arranged, to bear on the rope on the guir'ling-shezive, and a movable support for the depression-sheave.

9. A11 :IOl'liL-l ropewzry guide comprising a guiding-sheave arranged to solely support the rope, a depression-sheave arranged to bearon the rope on the guiding-sheave, and a spring 8. A11 aerial-ropeway guide comprising a i Witnesses:

PEReY E. MATTocK, HUGH HUGHES. 

